Račiūnas, Antanas Page 1 of 1

Račiūnas, Antanas
(b Užliaušiai, near Panevežys, 22 Aug/4 Sept 1905; d Vilnius, 3 Apr 1984).
Lithuanian composer. He graduated from Gruodis's composition class at the
Kaunas Conservatory (1933) and continued his studies in Paris's Ecole
Normale with Nadia Boulanger and Roger-Ducasse (1936–9); he also had one
lesson with Stravinsky. He then taught at the Kaunas Conservatory (1939–43,
1944–9) and then at the Lithuanian State Conservatory in Vilnius (1949–60,
head of composition 1949–59, appointed professor in 1958). In 1954 he was
made an Honoured Worker of the Arts and in 1965 People's Artist of the
Lithuanian SSR. He composed four operas of which the first one, Trys
talismanai (‘Three Talismans’, 1936), based on a fairy tale, was most
successful. The score of his second opera, Gintaro krantas (‘The Amber
Shore’, 1940), along with that of Trys talismanai, did not survive; Marytė
(1953), the so-called first Lithuanian Soviet opera, depicted the struggle
between partisans and fascists while Saulės miestas (‘City of the Sun’, 1965)
had as its basis an atheistic theme. His best work is to be found in his solo and
chorus songs and folksong arrangements, the latter being published in three
collections: Dainuojam (1935), Oi tu, sakale (1957) and Ant viso medelio
(1980). His music is rather conservative in harmony and form, romantic in
prevailing moods; in many of his compositions he makes use of traditional folk
music elements and melodies. The composers Eduardas Balsys, Vytautas
Barkauskas, Vytautas Klova and Bronius Kutavičius were among his pupils.
The book Valanda su kompozitorium Antanu Račiunu [An Hour with the
Composer Antanas Račiŭnas], by D. Palionytė was published in Vilnius in
1970.
WORKS
Ops: Trys talismanai [Three Talismans], 1936; Gintaro krantas [The Amber Shore],
1940; Marytė, 1953; Saulės miestas [City of the Sun], 1965
10 Syms., 1933–80
Other orch: Vakaras prie Vilijos [An Evening by the Vilija], sym. poem, 1939;
Gimtinės laukai [The Fields of the Homeland], suite, 1955; Platelio ežero paslaptis
[The Mystery of Lake Plateliai], sym. poem, 1957; Jurginas ir Ramunė [Jurginas and
Ramunė], sym. poem, 1958; Pirčiupio motina [The Mother of Pirčiupiai], sym. poem,
1973; 2 pf concs., 1979, 1982
Vocal: Metai [The Seasons] (orat-poem, K. Donelaitis), chorus, org, 1964; 2 cants.,
solo and choral songs, folksong arrs.
Chbr and solo inst: Pf sonata nos.1–2, 1931, 1947; Sonatina no.1, ob, pf, 1947; 3
baladės [3 Ballades], pf (1948); Sonata faantazija, vn, 1963; Sonata, 2 pf, 1967;
Sonata, vc, pf, 1967; Sonatina no.2, ob, pf, 1969; Pf Sonata no.3, 1973; Sonata, vn,
pf, 1978; Pf Sonata no.4, 1983

Principal publishers: Sovetskij kompozytor, Vaga

ADEODATAS TAURAGIS

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